Attorney General Announces Prosecution in Brooklyn Park Spill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 24, 2000

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr., announced today that Gary Lee Brown, Sr., 382015 Park Drive in Pasadena, pleaded guilty for his role in the 1998 illegal dumping of solvents onto the lot of McIntyre’s Auto Repair, Inc, in Brooklyn Park. Anne Arundel County District Court Judge Paul A. Hackner, fined Brown, manager of McIntyre’s Auto Repair, Inc., 4000 block of Ritchie Highway, $5,000, suspending all but $1,000 of the fine. Brown was also ordered to perform 100 hours of community service of an environmental cleanup nature and given probation before judgement, being placed on probation for one year.

In June of 1998, Brooklyn Park neighbors of Brown’s business, complained to authorities about a strong solvent odor emanating from McIntyre’s Auto Repair. Based on the findings of emergency personnel who responded to the scene, State Troopers assigned to the Attorney General’s Office Environmental Crimes Unit launched an investigation resulting in criminal charges against the business and three of its employees. The defendants were charged with dumping onto the company’s lot, several drums of solvents mixed with oil that had been accumulating there for several years.

"Environmental crimes are just as threatening to the welfare of a neighborhood and its residents as any other crimes," Attorney General Curran said. "These men had a total disregard for their neighbors and the environment and, consequently, were required to pay a hefty price for their actions."

After pleading guilty in September of 1999, the two other McIntyre’s employees were placed on probation and ordered to perform community service. Though charges against the business itself were dropped in court today, McIntyre’s was forced to spend in excess of $40,000 to clean up environmental damage caused by the dumping.